New Build... 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Widebody Pickup

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 10:23 pm
So my plan next winter was to build a Jeep Grand Cherokee Ute pickup for myself..... Well, that was until Smyth Performance released these pic.s of his truck kit for 2011 to present Dodge Chargers.... Man, take a look at these pic.s We will start on it in August or September and I want to do a slower 9 month build on this one. I've got some crazy paint plans in my head at the moment and I will have to start doing some speed shape sample this fall....
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I just like the overall rake on this....
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I'm going to probably do a non bonded/fused attachment on the fender flares.
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Very unique profile with the later nose styling.... I'm glad they kept the more truckish rear...
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 8:28 am
Now that actually looks quite good. Better than the others, I think.

Now, for the colour, how about.....

Screenshot_20220630_232109.jpg


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I would go for the red, but that green is just spectacular. :happy:

Looking forward to what you're going to come up with.
Chris

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 8:39 am
Chris, so Australia.... I don't get it.... Utes and smaller trucks are now a growing segment here..... what happened to you guys? I mean, we wanted these things back since the original El Camino and Rancheros were around. Looks like you guys are moving away from these almost completely......
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:19 pm
UPDATE...... Fresh off the presses. So the prototype kits did not start shipping on this build until right around Christmas. I now have sold my truck (it's shipping to Florida today) and I "think" I"ve found the right Charger for me. Our overall plan did change somewhat..... we are now going to make this vehicle the combination shop and personal truck. Kind of a "show and go" concept. To that end I have decided the model for us is the Police Pursuit Charger. I am lining up a 2019 model that was loaded up with about $6000 of options for Sherriff's dept. My Smyth kit should ship by Friday. So, the plan is to be cutting by the end of the month. I'll post some pic.s of the car once I get it..... stay tuned.....
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:54 pm
DarrelK wrote:UPDATE...... Fresh off the presses. So the prototype kits did not start shipping on this build until right around Christmas. I now have sold my truck (it's shipping to Florida today) and I "think" I"ve found the right Charger for me. Our overall plan did change somewhat..... we are now going to make this vehicle the combination shop and personal truck. Kind of a "show and go" concept. To that end I have decided the model for us is the Police Pursuit Charger. I am lining up a 2019 model that was loaded up with about $6000 of options for Sherriff's dept. My Smyth kit should ship by Friday. So, the plan is to be cutting by the end of the month. I'll post some pic.s of the car once I get it..... stay tuned.....


This ought to be an interesting project.
By the way, my wife had a fender bender and the insurance company opted to total our 2018 Toyota Avalon XLE Premium.
So we started our search for another vehicle and ended up with this 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. The color is Granite Crystal Metallic, leather interior and only 42,000 miles on it.

Right Side.JPG

Front Left.JPG
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:39 am
Nice looking ride!.... I really like Jeeps. Seems like their build quality sometimes is a little hit or miss. It's strange, I know of guys that own them and haven't had a single hiccup while I've known of others that had to turn brand new ones back in under Ohio's Lemon Law. My grandson's Jeep pickup truck conversion has been running great. He took that nationwide trip in the Fall and ended up taking it down to St. Augustine, Florida for our family vacation. He's only had to replace his radiator and some hoses so far....
So I'm hoping to pickup my Police cruiser tomorrow.....
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 2:26 am
DarrelK wrote:Chris, so Australia.... I don't get it.... Utes and smaller trucks are now a growing segment here..... what happened to you guys? I mean, we wanted these things back since the original El Camino and Rancheros were around. Looks like you guys are moving away from these almost completely......


Missed this...or thought I'd replied? Dunno.

A few factors....

A population of only 26 million means a small market, even though Holden (GM) and Ford had a tight hold the influx of the Japanese utes at a fraction of the price meant that tradesmen, the classic market for utes, moved to Toyota/Nissan/Mitsubishi/Isuzu for fuel economy and a full 1 tonne capacity. Then the Government really sounded the death knell for utes by identifying that V8s and turbo (petrol) vehicles figured high in the death/injury statistics for young drivers. All States jumped on the bandwagon and banned young drivers from these vehicles. That killed the standard ute with a V8 and all that was left was the heavily optioned and/or modified models that were still popular with older drivers but they simply didn't represent the numbers needed for production economies of scale. The final nail in the coffin was political - both GM Holden and Ford were heavily subsidised because of the numbers they employed but the Government started to withdraw those subsidies and both GM and Ford decided to shut their factories. So the Aussie ute is now officially dead, along with the sedan and wagon versions which had been the mainstay of Australian motoring and the young blokes are now driving 4x4 Rangers, Tritons and Hiluxes. :cry: :cry:

As for why they never took off in the States, I really don't understand. Ford never designed the Falcon, sedan or ute, to be left hand drive so they only ever had New Zealand and South Africa as potential export markets. Holden were much smarter and the Commodore was produced in both right and left hand drive and exported to quite a few markets worldwide, the biggest being the Middle East and the UK, plus of course, the USA. But, for some reason GM couldn't really get their heads around a large car that handled like a go-kart but was powered with a 5.7 or 6.0 litre American V8 that went like a scalded cat and had the sweetest sound. I would have thought that that would be the easiest thing in the world to sell in the USA, but GM couldn't do it. As for the utes, the F150 (and equivalents) was King and they didn't want to erode their market in that segment for fear of losing their economies of scale. So a few were sold as Police chase cars and there were a few more sold in a couple of their brand channels but the greater majority of people never knew they even existed. :knockout:

Now, in Australia, Holden is gone and Ford only sell the Ranger, a few (underwhelming) Mustangs and they fill the gaps in the showrooms with a couple of small vehicles that no-one wants. RAM and F150 sell a very few and they're expensive, having to be converted one by one while Chrysler/Jeep, who sold out to Mitsubishi in the 1970s, have a distributor who features regularly in the Courts with arguably the worst warranty and service backup in the country.

I have a 2013 Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero) which currently has only 80,000 kilometres on it and I'll keep it. There is absolutely nothing in the new car market that even vaguely excites me and I won't pay $120,000 for a Land Cruiser or a Nissan Patrol. Maybe I should join everyone else in the country and buy a Ranger, but it would have to be used since I'll not even think about a 3 tonne ute with 3.5 tonne towing capacity and only a 2 litre engine. The last of the high performance Holdens sell for over $100,000 for a basic SS that was $50K new, up to $250,000+ for the real top of the range models. :splat:

Anyway, digressed enough. Looking forward to this new project of yours.
Chris

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:57 pm
Well, that explains a lot..... I thought the car and truck markets were pretty messed up here but it appears to be a worldwide problem.....I'm picking up my Dodge Police Pursuit car tomorrow and will flip some pic.s of it on here. We hope to just do some shake out driving for a week and then it is on to cutting. Since this is our 3rd truck build we think it might go at a decent rate. I'd love to be cut, built , and into primer by the end of May....
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 11:24 pm
So we picked up the new to me ride today. It is a 2019 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model. Absolutely loaded and it's the right color for some of the chameleon work that I have planned. Take a look..... We will begin cutting in about a week or so.....
Attachments
New Build 3.jpg
So this is where all the hacking starts, everything from a little over 7 inches behind the front doors goes.....
New Build 2.jpg
My wife says she likes the spot light so we are keeping it!
New Build 1.jpg
Yep, very nice car.... rides like it is bolted to the road
New Build 4.jpg
So this is what it's all about... 5.7 Hemi teamed up with All Wheel Drive
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2023 10:58 am
Did you get that at a police auction?
See old police cars on the road, driven by civilians and always wondered where they bought them?
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31
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